Friday, December 14, 2007

Christmas

Christmas time has long been one of my favorite times of year. For most of my life, when the season would near and the anticipation of Christmas grew stronger with every passing day...this is what I would picture:




















Christmas as a kid!
There is nothing like it!
And for us Snidemans...it was always the same routine.

Dad would send us to bed letting us know that he wasn't able to do much this christmas...and yet christmas morning we would rush downstairs to find present after present almost extending beyond the room. Santa always came...sometimes he had little helpers...sometimes he managed it all by himself. But he always came.


I remember we'd make as much noise as it took to wake dad up. Then, as always, he'd start up the hot chocolate that we'd drink before dividing out the gifts . The big waffle breakfast would follow the much anticipated unwrapping.







As the day draws closer, it makes me think of how, as I've gotten older, christmas has changed a bit.
Of course it becomes more about the spiritual meaning...(but I'm sure if you wanted the sermon on that you would be reading the bible instead of my blog...so I'll keep it about the "wordly" christmas)
I'll never forget how christmas felt to me for so many years...but now christmas morning brings a new picture to mind:














It's been fun to see how it's changed for me...





...to teach my kids the true meaning of christmas...

...To build new holiday traditions with my little family...

...to have them experience the 'magic' of christmas...

...to see their excitement that morning...




Now...this is the christmas I live for!

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sally wow i love those pictures! every time i see those pictures of the famiely when we were young it remindes me of how much more perfect we all were! it makes me want to beacome that little robert again! man i dont know about you but i forget so easley. nice blog sal pal gal.

Debbie said...

Sallie, that was an awesome entry! It's great for me to see pictures of y'all as kids since I've only known y'all as adults. I agree with Robert...it's a nice blog!
Love, Deb

Stewartville est. 1995 said...

OH MY GOSH SAL

BEST BLOG EVER!!!!


WHERE O WHERE DID YOU GET THOSE PICTURES???


OH SASSIE, HOW PRECIOUS.

ROBERT, I REMEMBER THAT OSCAR THE GROUCH, IT WAS A BANK RIGHT?

HEY, DID Y'ALL CHECK OUT MY HAIR!

DID ANYONE OWN A BRUSH...HUT!

MAN EVERYONE IS SOOOO PRECIOUS.

IF YOU LOOK AT EVERYONE'S FACE, YOU CAN SEE.......

WARREN, YOU LOOK THE SAME...ONLY LESS HAIR.

PAM, YOU LOOK LIKE YOUR KIDS.

NANCY, YOU I SEE A JESSICA LOOK IN YOU AND THEN THE NEXT PIC IT LOOKS LIKE MARY

ROBERT....YOU HAVE A LOOK THAT I SEE IN MY KIDS NOW!!

SAL....OK YOU COULD TOTALLY PUT WESTON IN THERE AND THERE WOULDN'T BE A DIFF

Stewartville est. 1995 said...

OK, THE FIRST ONE IS WHEN SAL WAS A BABY,

THE SECOND ONE WAS THE YEAR BEFORE AND MARIE WAS THE BABY...
OK
LOOK
AT
MARIE.

MILES HAS THE SAME HEAD!!!

MARIE, YOU THOUGHT MILES DIDN'T LOOKE LIKE YOU BUT HE DOES!

ROBERT AND JULIE ARE THE DANG CUTEST ONES I'VE GOT TO SAY.

MAN, I NEEDED FAT CAMP OR SOMETHING.

GEEZ DAD, YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN AWAY THE COOKIES!! HUT

SAL,
THANKS I LOVE IT AND I LOVE HOW YOU PUT RECENT PICS OF YOUR FAM

LOVE
LOVE
LOVE IT

Stewartville est. 1995 said...

WHERE DID YOU GET THE PICS?

Stewartville est. 1995 said...

THANKS FOR DOING A NEW BLOG, I ALWAYS LOOK AND LOVE IT WHEN I SEE SOMETHING NEW!!

Anonymous said...

HI SUSAN, YOU KNOW I DONT REMEMBER IF THAT WAS A OSCAR THE GROUCH BANK I DID NOT KEEP A BLOG THEN!
BUT DAD DID GET ME A OSCAR THE GROUCH ALARM CLOCK. I REMEMBER THAT! WHEN IT WAS TIME TO GET UP HE WOULD POP OUT OF HIS TRASH CAN AND SAY SOMTHING LIKE "ITS TIME FOR ALL YOU GROUCHES TO GET UP OUT THERE! HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT HUT

Fancy Nancy Pants said...

How precious! My favorite picture is the on of Robert and the grouch. I remember watching mom paint that. She spent hours on it and I remember thinking..."Wow. Mom is such an artist!"
I love that picture!
And, Robert, that was something to hand on a wall. and it was on your wall for years.
Wow sally, I love this post.
Oh and susan, I totally see Harrison in you. The smile, the look. Oh Yeah. It's harrison for sure.

Fancy Nancy Pants said...

susan, you are adorable. I don't know what you're talking about. and when i see robert all i can think is ... I can't wait to see little robert jr's because if they look anything like robert they are gonna be the cutest little kids in the world. and Weston is a splitting image of Sally. and julie is so to die for cute! I see her and I miss her so much. and warren with his non-smile attitude. it brings back so many funny memories. It really does. And Pam still looks exactly the same.
I'm jelous sally.... where in the world did you get these photo's?

And the second picture of me... Oh yeah! I had a brush. And I did my own hair by then. And I thought I looked so cute with my hair all done up just so...
And the 1st picture???? All I can say is that I think we ALL got hair cuts the day before. because we all got the same due's.
we were all just so cute!
and such good christmas memories...

Fancy Nancy Pants said...

I'm digg'n those awsome brown plaid couches. and when I see that brown plaid wall paper the first thing that comes to mind is that earthquake in California when mom and dad where out on a date and we all hid under the kitchen table until they got home. we were so scared.....

Memories.......

Fancy Nancy Pants said...

and some of the best easter memories with that brown plaid wall paper... such sweet memories!

Stewartville est. 1995 said...

nancy...those couches i don't remember but i do remember

the brown ones with flowers.

hut

Stewartville est. 1995 said...

sal, i had to come back and look again...
i love how you blog

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

So, I just found your blog and thought I would leave a comment since I am reading it. I remember Christmas always being fun when we were kids too. I enjoy it more as an adult though. Watching my kids experience Christmas makes me happy. Your boys are so stinking cute by the way. Just thought I would add that.

Anonymous said...

wow nancy i forgot that mom painted that oscar the grouch!!! man that picture meens alot more to me now. Yes when i have kids they will be "THE CUTEST KIDS IN THE WORLD" I AGREE!!!

Stewartville est. 1995 said...

no robert...

you've got to say it like this


Cutest kids....in the WOOOORRRRLLDD!






hut

Anonymous said...

ALL MY BOYS WILL HAVE MOHALKS AND MY GIRLS I WILL HAVE PINK HAIR HUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Anonymous said...

SALLY AND ADAM ARE YOU READY FOR SUNDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN. ADAM IF YOU WIN THIS GAME OF SETTLERS DAD HAST TO BUY YOU LUNCH! HUTTTTTTTTT SO I KNOW YOU WILL BRING YOUR A GAME. BUT ALL I GOT TO SAY IS GOOD LUCK, YES I AM TALKING SMACK, GOOD LUCK BEACUSE I AM GOING TO KICK EVERYBODYS TRACH THIS TIME BABY!!!
IT IS WAR WHEN WE PLAY BUT DONT FORGET WHEN THE GAME IS OVER ILL STILL LOVE YOUALL EVEN MORE I HOPE YOU WILL STILL LOVE ME!!!

Anonymous said...

where o where is sal pal

Stewartville est. 1995 said...

hey robertoVO5...a little trash talk never hurt anyone!!!


i wish i was there to play!!!

man, you guys are lucky to have eachother up there!

Anonymous said...

I think there scared of me beacuse they have not responded to me yet!
dont wory you dont haft to be scared till you play me he he.

Anonymous said...

Hay Sally,Adam and Fam ,Robert loves ya. Talking in the 3 person is fun!

Warren's Blog said...

I love the pictures, Sallie. I remember that rug! Is that Marie in the walker? I also remember Julie being a happy baby. It sure brings back memories(like the corner of my mind..)
Thanks for the cool blog,
Warren

Anonymous said...

SALLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAMILY A DVD!!! Wow you gave to me hands down the best christmas gift this christmas!!! rely one of the best of all time!!!THANK YOU that was rely thoughtful to take the time and effort to transfer all those memorys on to dvd so i can enjoy them for years to come. It was so good to see all the famiely especialy MOM AND JULIE. PRICELESS,
I miss them bolth so much. that movie rely brings great memories, i am laughing one sec. and like turning on a light balling the next.
I dont wana sound like a wuss but i guss i am. Thank you again Sally.
THE STRONGEST SISTER IN THE WORRRRRRRLD!

Warren's Blog said...

What dvd?

Anonymous said...

HI SALLY AND ADAM.

Anonymous said...

I gota sat sal pal gal, that robeerrrrrr loves you and your fam. Thanks for lunch guys the outher day.